July 2018

If track meets are three-ring circuses, what are masters nationals? A ballet buffet? After four sizzling days in The Inferno (what they call the Eastern Washington University football stadium), I’m overheated with memories. Some are personal — like getting season bests in the high jump and 200. Others were communal — as when 93-year-old George Roudebush helped an M80 team become the oldest to record a shuttle hurdle time. Witnesses to his gingerly slow-mo step-over of the 27-inch hurdles will never forget it. Thankfully, on Day 2, I had finished my events and focused my Nikons on that event. The…

Roy Englert of Springfield, Virginia, shattered a 27-year-old world record in the M95 800 to kick off Spokane nationals at Eastern Washington University. (See results here.) He became the oldest man to go sub-6 when he clocked 5:18.15, taking 45 (!!!) seconds off the listed outdoor WR of 6:02.94 by fellow Yank Herb Kirk at 1991 Turku worlds. (Roy set the indoor WR of 6:03.84 at this year’s Landover nationals.) Sue McDonald of Santa Barbara lowered her own W55 AR in the 800 by clocking 2:27.00 — a few ticks ahead of her recent 2:28.88. Three-time race walk Olympian Michelle…

By Douglas Thompson Athletic performance breakthroughs are rare. For masters athletes, they may be even less common, since the athlete has already tried many approaches to improve their performance, and because time is constantly eroding what is possible. I seem to be experiencing one of these rare breakthroughs. It’s exciting, but I’m still not sure it’s going to last, and that makes me nervous. I am sharing my story in the hopes that some of you will share your own, and give me some perspective and insight into what may be happening. Since I began running track at age 44,…

L’Aquila, Italy, apparently is first out of the blocks with a promotional video intended to win the 2022 WMA outdoor world meet. Other candidates mentioned are Tampere (Finland) and Gothenburg (Sweden). Gianni Lolli, general director and manager of LOC L’Aquila 2022, sent the clip and details. “L’Aquila stands at 721 meters above sea level in the heart of Region Abruzzo, which is its capital,” Gianni says. “It is 100K from Rome and 100K from Pescara on the Adriatic Sea. There will be three tracks and one stadium in which all the throwing events shall take place.” He continued: The track…

Tom LeGan’s attempt to break Nolan Shaheed’s M50 WR in the mile – telegraphed here recently — didn’t go down. Tom’s calf did. According to a posting by a Northern California track club, “The Tamalpa Runners had the Tamalpa July Track Meet sanctioned by the USATF in anticipation of 52-year-old Tom LeGan and 81-year-old Eve Pell attempting to break the American and World Age Group Records for the M50-54 and F80-84 Age Groups for the One Mile. “Unfortunately, Eve strained her groin and Tom injured his calf and neither runner was able to run in the Tamalpa July Track Meet….

It’s a false start. Eight months after announcing hopes to hand out money to elite masters headed for Malaga worlds and reward them for medals, national chair Rex Harvey says the plan is a DNS for this year. “We have not been able to find a sponsor, but still working on this for future years,” Rex told me this week. As you may recall from my post on Rex’s report at the Ohio annual meeting, the plan had three parts — “Championships Facilitators, financial support for those ranking in the top six in the world in an event, and awards…

M55 track writer Paul Merca of Seattle is one gracious guy. He let me win the inaugural TAFWA blogging award in 2009 before swooping in for the honor in 2010 via his site. Now he’s onto another task – announcing Spokane masters nationals (actually Cheney, but whatever). Over the past few days, we’ve chatted about the challenge. He’s well aware he’s filling the superstar shoes of Peter Taylor (rehabbing from a near-stroke experience). But Paul aims to do justice to our niche, cramming daily with the help of Pete, spreadsheets of entries and reviewing this blog. On Facebook this week,…

With 443 entrants, Team USA will send the fourth-largest national contingent to Malaga worlds in September — after host Spain (1,792), UK (704) and Germany (611). According to WMA, the all-comers meet also known at the World Masters Athletics Championships – Stadia will have almost 8,200 athletes. Yowza. Already we’re hearing worries about field events: How will so many people with so many tries get to finish before Christmas? British Olympian and masters WR man Roald Bradstock, a last-minute entry for UK — although he lives in Florida and threw in the U.S. Olympic Trials (duel citizenship) — wrote on…

Despite sprints run into winds, at least two world records and two American records were set over the weekend at the USATF West Regional Masters Championships at West Los Angeles College. (See results here.) Traveling from Georgia, W60 Lesley Hinz ran the mile in 5:39.84 to beat the listed WR of 5:42.65 by Kathy Martin in 2013. So Lesley has a complete set, having set the indoor mile WR (5:43.75) at North Carolina nationals in March. That was Saturday. On Sunday, she ran the 800 in 2:34.60 — just missing the listed WR of 2:33.09 by Germany’s Lidia Zentner in…

World sprint champ Roger Pierce is well-known to readers of this blog. He’s been a Masters Hall of Famer for 10 years. But lately I’ve been more intrigued by his W50 wife of three years — Diane Tedford Pierce. On Facebook, I followed her progress in coming back from knee surgery. When someone suggested I interview her, I jumped into action. Her backstory is impressive, too. Diane — who bought a house with Roger and moved to Rowley, about 10 miles north of Essex in 2015 — graciously responded. Masterstrack.com: Where were you born, and where did you grow up?…

Masters on Twitter

Athletes who are not on the top six in the World list of those eligible for performance-based support from the Team USATF Torun World #1 Program can earn support by competing at... https://t.co/de3yt9kO0I

Sign up for the USATF East Region and New England Association Masters Indoor T&F Championship being held 1/27/19 at the Providence Career and Technical Academy
Providence, Rhode Island https://t.co/MK1fO5l1XP

Job Alert! Be a Volunteer and Welcome the World ! The @wmaToronto2020 Host Committee is looking for many key volunteer leadership positions now, interested ? Check out the WMA website for info; https://t.co/RD9oye67YK #TorontoComms @TOSportsCouncil @TorontoPFR #CSCOJobList

Grateful to the Catton family for trusting me to tell their story.
Members of Guelph's running community spent today celebrating 3-year-old Benjamin Catton who's spent so much of his life in hospital. A few weeks ago, he received a kidney from his father. https://t.co/bJPDf5Ux0C

It's coming #OCC19 is now open! Join in Ontario's premier sport leadership event impacting 2.2 million youth in our province. Register by December 31 to save up to $70 off! Education is a journey, not a destination. Continue your journey at #OCC19 https://t.co/MB2ParmKY6

A meeting to discuss theOMA/AO Memorandum of Understanding will be held on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, 6:30pm at the offices of Athletics Ontario. Variety Village 370 Danforth Avenue, ScarboroughOMA Board members will be present, and all OMA members are welcome to attend.

Its Indoor Masters Exhibition Time of Year!! We are looking for Men and Women 60+ Qualifying times are 8.40 60M or lower for men and 11.30 60M or lower for Women! The event is at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island NY.
Application Link is OPEN!!... https://t.co/bqEf7YckIH

Hi T & F fam, we are sharing stories and calls for help by Masters Athletes affected by the fires in California. If you know of others with support campaigns please post here or send us a message. #mastersathletes... https://t.co/T8Sa2Niyji